Something great happened this past week. In the middle of the week, completely unprovoked, somebody asked me, “So what happened to King David next? I have to miss church on Sunday, and I really want to know!” And I thought, “You actually care? You were really listening? I can’t believe it!” It was so encouraging! This man knew that if he missed church, he would miss something important from God’s Word. He’s right! If you were here last week, we ended right in the middle of a story. David’s own son Absalom rebelled against him. So David had to flee for his life, weeping and barefoot, but trusting in God. I hope you’ve been thinking about it all week!
So what happened? Absalom took over Jerusalem and asked his advisors what to do next. One of his advisors was Ahithophel. Ahithophel was a traitor to David. He had been David’s trusted advisor, but he betrayed him and joined Absalom instead. Everybody listened to Ahithophel. The Bible says, “In those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God” (2 Samuel 16:23). Wow! Everybody needs an advisor like that. Ahithophel said, “Let’s catch David tonight. I’ll even lead the way! If we can kill David, the whole country will be yours. Don’t waste time. Let’s kill David now!” Everybody nodded, “Yes. Great advice. Let’s go!”
But then Hushai spoke up. Remember him from last week? Hushai was David’s other trusted advisor. But, unlike Ahithophel, Hushai was still on David’s side. Hushai got up and said, “Ahithophel is usually right, but not this time. Your father David is a like a mother bear robbed of her cubs. You don’t want to face him tonight. Instead, gather a huge army, and you, Absalom, gloriously lead the army into battle. You won’t just kill David, you’ll win a huge victory!” See what he was doing? He was appealing to Absalom’s pride. And he succeeded. Absalom decided to follow Hushai’s advice. Actually, someone was working behind the scenes: God was! David had prayed: “LORD, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness” (2 Samuel 15:31), and God did!
So Absalom didn’t chase after David immediately. That gave David time to regroup. That was just what he needed. David had incredibly loyal soldiers and commanders. He divided his army into three groups, led by Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He sent them out to battle, but with one strange instruction: “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake” (2 Samuel 18:5). David loved his son, almost to a fault. Even when his son rebelled against him, David still loved him. The two armies met in a dense forest. David’s forces routed Absalom’s. It was a huge victory for David!
In the chaos of the battle, Absalom’s head got stuck in a tree. It’s ironic. Vain Absalom had beautiful hair and a big head. That big head and beautiful hair were his downfall. David’s chief commander Joab told a soldier to kill Absalom. But the soldier refused. He said, “I heard what the king told you, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake’ (2 Samuel 18:12). But Joab didn’t care what David had said. He wanted justice! So he took three javelins and plunged them into Absalom’s heart. Just like that, the rebellion was over. Absalom was dead. It was a great victory! All that was left was telling David the news. That’s where our lesson picks up the story.
Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.”
“You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”
Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.
Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.” But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.” He said, “Come what may, I want to run.” So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. The watchman called out to the king and reported it.
The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the runner came closer and closer.
Then the watchman saw another runner, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!”
The king said, “He must be bringing good news, too.”
The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”
Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the Lord your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.”
The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”
The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.
Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.”
The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”
The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, “The king is grieving for his son.” The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle. The king covered his face and cried aloud, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, “Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come on you from your youth till now.”
So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the men were told, “The king is sitting in the gateway,” they all came before him.
How did David react? His heart was torn in two. His army had won the victory. But his son was dead. David mourned: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!” Can you hear the heartbreak? All of Absalom’s sins didn’t change David’s love for him. David loved him despite his rebellion. You parents here can relate. David was supposed to be happy. Victory! But he mourned for his son. “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you.” David’s heart was torn in two.
So Joab came and rebuked him. If in David’s heart love won out, in Joab’s heart justice always rose to the top. Joab said to David, “You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead.” Can you see the two sides? David said, “O my son Absalom. O Absalom, my son, my son.” Joab said, “Justice needed to be served. Absalom needed to die.” Who was right? Love or justice? Hearts were torn in two.
When I was a kid, I can remember admiring grown-ups for their ability to always know what to do. Did you ever feel that way? It seemed like grown-ups—like my parents or teachers—always knew what to do in every situation. I remember thinking, “Someday, when I grow up, it will be great to know what to do.” Know what I think today? “Someday, when I grow up, it will be great to know what to do.” Or, in other words, “I still have no idea what I’m doing!” No matter how old you are, how often are you faced with situations in which your heart is torn in two?
In fact, I think it gets harder as you get older. You remember all the decisions you’ve made that haven’t turned out well. You’ve seen what can go wrong on every side. Your heart’s been pulled this way and that way so many times. You’re torn. “Is now a time to show love or to rebuke?” “Is now a time to forgive and forget or take a firm stand and protect?” In how many decisions aren’t there two sides warring against each other: Justice or love? Which one? Far from my thinking as a kid, the older you get, the more difficult everything is. The more torn your heart is.
Isn’t that a powerful proof of the sin in us and in our world? Sin taints everything. In every situation in life, every possible outcome is impacted by sin. David’s army won a great battle, but Absalom’s betrayal of his father tainted it all. David and his family were safe, but another one of David’s sons was dead. There is no perfect outcome. There is no perfect path in this world. Sin impacts everything in life, and even the happiest moments are tainted by tears and grief.
All of that leaves us with hearts that are torn. Can you relate to David? You love someone who doesn’t deserve it. Can you relate to Joab? You want justice against those who do wrong. So which side are you one? Love or justice? I bet it depends completely on the situation. And it all hurts. There’s a proverb in the Bible that says, “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief” (Proverbs 14:13). Isn’t that the truth? Like Joab convicted David, we often love the things and people that harm us, and we often hate the things and people that help us. We don’t make sense! We need someone to put our hearts back together. We need a Savior! Agree?
When I hear this story of King David’s torn heart, I can’t help but think of a different Father I’ve heard about. There was a different Father who also lost his Son, only the circumstances were a little different. This other King had only one Son. Unlike Absalom, his Son was very faithful to his Father. He loved his Father dearly and did everything his Father asked. But that King also faced a rebellion. It wasn’t led by his Son. Instead, everybody in his whole kingdom rebelled against him. The only person who remained faithful to him was his Son. Can you imagine that?
Do you know whom I’m talking about? God. God the Father faced the rebellion of every single person in the whole world. The only person on his side was his Son—Jesus. What should God have done? The choice was pretty easy, right? Cast us all into hell and enjoy heaven with Jesus! But God the Father’s heart was torn. It was torn because just like David loved Absalom, even though Absalom didn’t deserve it one bit, God loves all the people of the world, even though we don’t deserve it. It’s grace. God did something unthinkable: He gave his Son to save the world full of his enemies. He let his Son die so that all the people who rebelled against him could live.
As David mourned for Absalom, he said, “If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!” What David couldn’t do, Jesus did for us. He died instead of us. So which did Jesus choose: Love or justice? Both. Jesus chose both. Jesus talks about hell more than anyone else in the Bible. Sinners deserve hell. That’s justice! Justice is unavoidable in God’s kingdom. So Jesus made sure justice was done, but not to us, to him. He suffered death and hell for our sins, to pay our penalty. So that justice was satisfied, and love was poured out. We needed Joab’s justice and David’s love put together in the same person. That’s what we find in Jesus at the cross: Justice and love. God is “just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).
Can you imagine how torn God’s heart must have been? If it was hard for David to hear that his dirty, rotten son was dead, how hard was it for God the Father to punish his own perfect Son for all of us sinners? Can you imagine how torn God’s heart must have been? He understands the hurt and pain you so often feel. But add this: Can you imagine how much God must love you? Anyone who saw David weep for his rebellious son knew, “David loved Absalom!” Let there be no doubt in your mind: God loves you. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). This is what grace is: Undeserved love. When the Father’s heart was torn, his Son died for us rebels, so we can live.
That love of God is what gives us confidence in every situation. I don’t know what’s best for me or you or anybody else. But God does! I know that every decision I make will be tainted by sin. But I also know that God will use every decision according to his plan. That’s his promise! “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32). Do you see the promise? God is for you! He proved it when he gave his Son for you. Since that’s true, will God turn around and abandon you? No way! Will God ever let anything get between you and his love? No way! When your heart is torn, know one thing is certain: God is for us.
On the night before he died, Jesus told his disciples this: “You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy” (John 16:20). The disciples would grieve as Jesus died, but their grief would turn to joy when Jesus rose. Even more, those disciples would grieve as they faced persecution throughout their lives, but that grief would turn to joy the moment they entered heaven. There will never come a day on earth when decisions are easy. There will never come a time on earth when your heart is not torn. But there will also never come a day when God’s love isn’t with you, when Jesus’ forgiveness doesn’t cover all your sins, when God’s promise of heaven isn’t true. When you have a day like David had, when your heart is torn in two, remember this: “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” Amen.
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